EOTC: Life as a Lawman
Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2026 12:11 pm
Aftermath:
It took two relentless days to purge Camp Wilson of the undead, and another week under a punishing sun to hunt down the stragglers hiding in the desert. Lt. Mikado and his fly-boys refused to leave, lingering overhead like guardian hawks until the last corpse stopped moving. By the end, nearly a hundred townsfolk, friends, and family lay dead. No one escaped untouched. Of all Reggie’s peers, only Kar didn’t make it; a single absence that somehow felt heavier than the rest.
The old rumor that zombie bites were always fatal shattered. Only one person had a bite become infected and turn them. Others amputated limbs. Most simply endured, scarred but alive.
Nova’s Return:
After the Lieutenant departed, Reggie spent more time with Nova. She drifted back toward her old self, but the change in her was impossible to ignore; pale skin, strange orange‑yellow eyes, a coldness that never left her body. The townsfolk kept their distance, whispering, watching. Only Reggie spoke to her like she was still human.
When paranoia finally pushed the orphanage staff to let her go, Hank allowed her to stay with him and Reggie until the town calmed down. Some nights, Reggie could hear her crying through the thin walls, muffled and lonely.
The Making of a Lawman:
Reggie’s father never recovered from losing his wife. He buried himself in work, then slowly began teaching Reggie the lawman’s trade; guns, bullets, horses, weapon mods, even a few flashy revolver tricks. The lessons became their way of grieving together. Eventually, Hank deputized him. Reggie still isn’t sure if it was trust… or fear of losing another person he loved.
With Alfred Kersch gone, the town pushed Hank into serving as temporary mayor. No one else dared step forward, except Mazur...
Training, Secrets, and Departures:
Karen Aoki, the raven‑haired ghost of a woman, taught Reggie blades, hand‑to‑hand combat, and the cold patience of a sniper. Hunter, the talkative Hispanic acrobat, taught him Spanish, hovercycle riding, and some impossibly difficult gymnastic feats. Then came the truth: Hunter was cybernetically enhanced, dangerously so. The town forced him out. Last Reggie heard, he’d drifted toward Lake Crenshaw.
Shep left soon after, flying off in his Silver Eagle. He didn’t know when he’d return. Most who cross the lines never do.
A Town Trying to Heal:
Months passed in uneasy calm. Reggie reconnected with old friends, even Hughe, and for a while, life almost felt normal again. Jack took over his father’s farm. Ryan fished with Reggie, both wary of man‑eating fish. Irina tried nursing, hated it, and quit. Beth replaced Mary Ann at the diner. Amy, the escaped orphan, settled into the orphanage with Irina. Mazur clawed his way out of depression and began working with Hank, hoping to eventually take over as mayor.
Ret drifted until he found purpose helping Susan at the library. Hughe threw himself into rebuilding the town and training to fight. Natalya, the red‑haired warrior who once saved them all, struggled with blackouts and heartbreak over Yuno’s disappearance. She regularly visits Dr. Anderson.
Some farmers never even knew the outbreak happened. Others dismissed it as conspiracy. Reggie, now privy to regional intelligence, watches the rumor‑spreaders carefully.
Alan West stayed, was deputized, and became Under Sheriff. Reggie tried not to imagine losing his father... or losing anyone else.
The townsfolk began calling Hank, Alan, Shep, Reggie, Mazur, Jack, Hughe, Ryan, and Natalya valiant heroes. Talk of a militia rose and fell. Some even asked Reggie or Shep to run for sheriff someday. Yet, Shep left instead.
Elections and Tension:
The mayoral race is tightening: Mazur, Magnus Martin the farmer, and Simon Rhodes the aging music teacher, each represent a different future for Camp Wilson; agriculture, culture, or expansion. Opinions split the town equally between the three candidates.
The Southern Perimeter:
Today, Reggie patrols the southern perimeter 'line' atop Apple, the smartest horse he’s ever known. The desert is quiet until Apple snorts, jerking her head toward the horizon.
A dark speck races toward them, cutting across the shimmering heat, kicking up an expanding plume of dust behind it. Too fast for a motorcycle. Too smooth.
A hovercycle.
Reggie straightens in the saddle, hand drifting toward his revolver. Whatever’s coming, it’s coming fast.
It took two relentless days to purge Camp Wilson of the undead, and another week under a punishing sun to hunt down the stragglers hiding in the desert. Lt. Mikado and his fly-boys refused to leave, lingering overhead like guardian hawks until the last corpse stopped moving. By the end, nearly a hundred townsfolk, friends, and family lay dead. No one escaped untouched. Of all Reggie’s peers, only Kar didn’t make it; a single absence that somehow felt heavier than the rest.
The old rumor that zombie bites were always fatal shattered. Only one person had a bite become infected and turn them. Others amputated limbs. Most simply endured, scarred but alive.
Nova’s Return:
After the Lieutenant departed, Reggie spent more time with Nova. She drifted back toward her old self, but the change in her was impossible to ignore; pale skin, strange orange‑yellow eyes, a coldness that never left her body. The townsfolk kept their distance, whispering, watching. Only Reggie spoke to her like she was still human.
When paranoia finally pushed the orphanage staff to let her go, Hank allowed her to stay with him and Reggie until the town calmed down. Some nights, Reggie could hear her crying through the thin walls, muffled and lonely.
The Making of a Lawman:
Reggie’s father never recovered from losing his wife. He buried himself in work, then slowly began teaching Reggie the lawman’s trade; guns, bullets, horses, weapon mods, even a few flashy revolver tricks. The lessons became their way of grieving together. Eventually, Hank deputized him. Reggie still isn’t sure if it was trust… or fear of losing another person he loved.
With Alfred Kersch gone, the town pushed Hank into serving as temporary mayor. No one else dared step forward, except Mazur...
Training, Secrets, and Departures:
Karen Aoki, the raven‑haired ghost of a woman, taught Reggie blades, hand‑to‑hand combat, and the cold patience of a sniper. Hunter, the talkative Hispanic acrobat, taught him Spanish, hovercycle riding, and some impossibly difficult gymnastic feats. Then came the truth: Hunter was cybernetically enhanced, dangerously so. The town forced him out. Last Reggie heard, he’d drifted toward Lake Crenshaw.
Shep left soon after, flying off in his Silver Eagle. He didn’t know when he’d return. Most who cross the lines never do.
A Town Trying to Heal:
Months passed in uneasy calm. Reggie reconnected with old friends, even Hughe, and for a while, life almost felt normal again. Jack took over his father’s farm. Ryan fished with Reggie, both wary of man‑eating fish. Irina tried nursing, hated it, and quit. Beth replaced Mary Ann at the diner. Amy, the escaped orphan, settled into the orphanage with Irina. Mazur clawed his way out of depression and began working with Hank, hoping to eventually take over as mayor.
Ret drifted until he found purpose helping Susan at the library. Hughe threw himself into rebuilding the town and training to fight. Natalya, the red‑haired warrior who once saved them all, struggled with blackouts and heartbreak over Yuno’s disappearance. She regularly visits Dr. Anderson.
Some farmers never even knew the outbreak happened. Others dismissed it as conspiracy. Reggie, now privy to regional intelligence, watches the rumor‑spreaders carefully.
Alan West stayed, was deputized, and became Under Sheriff. Reggie tried not to imagine losing his father... or losing anyone else.
The townsfolk began calling Hank, Alan, Shep, Reggie, Mazur, Jack, Hughe, Ryan, and Natalya valiant heroes. Talk of a militia rose and fell. Some even asked Reggie or Shep to run for sheriff someday. Yet, Shep left instead.
Elections and Tension:
The mayoral race is tightening: Mazur, Magnus Martin the farmer, and Simon Rhodes the aging music teacher, each represent a different future for Camp Wilson; agriculture, culture, or expansion. Opinions split the town equally between the three candidates.
The Southern Perimeter:
Today, Reggie patrols the southern perimeter 'line' atop Apple, the smartest horse he’s ever known. The desert is quiet until Apple snorts, jerking her head toward the horizon.
A dark speck races toward them, cutting across the shimmering heat, kicking up an expanding plume of dust behind it. Too fast for a motorcycle. Too smooth.
A hovercycle.
Reggie straightens in the saddle, hand drifting toward his revolver. Whatever’s coming, it’s coming fast.